Sunday, August 31, 2008

Last night I had a dream (er, nightmare) that I went out to Enumclaw to do a stamp camp & the only thing I brought with me was my catalog (not even catties for the girls; just mine) & order forms. Not much of a stamp camp... So, then I hurried & went home to get supplies, but nothing was prepped. Oy!! It seems that I often forget at least one thing when I go do a camp, but this was rediculous. I hope this never happens in real life.

This isn't a card that I made, but I would have loved to create it. Isn't it gorgeous? I think I'll take out some paper, ink & my Upsy Daisy stampset tonight & put my own spin on it (probably just a different color as I don't have this particular color yet).

Friday, August 29, 2008

2009 Calendar Class

I was searching online how to make a calendar into a scrapbook page & found this layout. Don't you think it would be a perfect layout for a December page? I need to figure out the logistics of a class (pricing, paper, etc), but the more I think about it, the more I want to do it. If for nobody else, I'll do one for myself. Everyone needs a calendar & I'm no exception. SU! sells some desktop calendars for $9.95 that would be perfect for my desk at work.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

2009 Already?

I came across some of these coaster calendars from another demonstrator's blog. I thought the idea was SO stinkin' cute (not to mention, I had almost a bajillion spare coasters sitting on my shelf), I thought I'd try making one. Except for the ribbon which is sitting pretty wonky, I LOVE the way it turned out.
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I just might see an upcoming Calendar Class in my near future. Would you be interested in such a class? Leave me a comment (or shoot me an email) & let me know if it's something I should explore further.
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By the way, I probably wouldn't base a Calendar Class solely on this one calendar. It wouldn't take very long to complete. Instead, I was thinking of a calendar that can be transformed into a 6" x 6" (or greater) scrapbook once the month has passed. I've seen some AWESOME samples & am a bit eager to try it out.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I was inspired!!

One of the perks of going to Convention is we get FREE stuff. This year, among our 4 FREE stamp sets was one of my new favorite sets: Inspired by Nature.
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This afternoon, while looking at a gallery of other demonstrator's photos, I came across something similar to this one. One look & I knew I had to CASE (Copy And Steal Everything) it. The only difference was the ribbon. She had used a taffeta ribbon & I don't have that particular one so I dyed what I had (white Organdy) with my Chocolate Chip inkpad. Not 'quite' the same, but I still love it.
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I think I mostly love the Poppin' Pastels technique. I don't think I've ever used this technique. SO easy! SO cute! SO versatile! I can easily see this card being used as a thank you, get well soon, thinking of you or good luck card.
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As always, clicking on the picture will enlarge it for you for a better view.

Monday, August 25, 2008

I'm So Sad!!



When I was at Convention, one of the things that was demonstrated was this awesome cookie jar with a new Décor Element of a 'spooky spider'. I, like most other ladies at Convention, wanted to recreate that same jar, except I didn't want to use the Décor Element. I wanted to try the new Halloween rub ons that are in the new Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog.

So, why am I so sad? Well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way my jar turned out, but I HATE HATE HATE how the pictures turned out. You're just going to have to see my jar in person (by booking a Stamp Camp before Sept 20th - at which point, my jar will be raffled off at a vendor fair I'm participating in). You can also see a slightly better, up close version simply by clicking on any of the pictures above.

A couple things about the jar: I put a placemat inside the jar so that it would photograph slightly better. It is a gallon size cookie jar (with a lid, but the lid didn't photograph nearly as well as the jar itself). It will make a wonderful storage container for Halloween candy to the winner of the jar.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Loads of Love

There are several stamp sets that I own (many retired) that I can't bring myself to get rid of. But, I need to keep (start!!) using them, otherwise I really can't justify holding onto them.

Tonight I thought I'd use my Loads of Love stamp set & the accessories set that goes along with it (for the pumpkins). I'm quite pleased with how this simple card turned out.

I'm pretty sure the recipient of this card doesn't read my blog much & so it'll be a nice surprise for her to receive it when I give it to her in October.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Sock Monkey

I recently picked up the Sock Monkey stamp set & have not done anything with it... Until now. I think it's the cutest darn thing, but was having troubles figuring out how I was going to color it. Other than piecing it together with different colors of paper (a LOT of work because you have to cut out each piece & then put it together like a mozaic puzzle), I think I've found the best way to color him - with the pastels. I LOVE the way this monkey turned out!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Autumn Extraordinaire

One of the gals on our Social Committee knows that I like making cards & other crafts. She had asked me to make the invitations to our "holiday party" (that's actually held in the fall & this year, will be called, "Autumn Extraordinaire").

I found a bunch of samples of really cute invitations, but thought better of making 140 difficult, time-consuming invites. I came up with this card & I LOVED it. I still do. I think it's just so 'elegant'. And, what's more is I have a ton of red ribbon & several pieces of red cardstock already cut from my swaps that I ended up not using for my trip to Convention.

One of the gals who was approving the design loved it too, but thought it screamed "winter" & since the Autumn Extraordinaire is in November, something a little more muted in colors (browns & yellows) might be more suited for this particular occasion.

We've come up with a great invitation & I'm just waiting on approval on the verbage before I post the real deal.


Here's an update on the stamp sets that are left for sale:


Too Terrific Tags - $4
So Many Scallops - $3
Oh How We Danced - $4 - SOLD
Holiday Blocks - $6
Kid Prints - $8
Little Shapes - $2
Around the Block - $2
Send a Celebration - $2 - SOLD
Watercolor Minis - $4
So Many Sayings - $4
Hip Hip Hooray - $8 - SOLD
Reverse Prints - $2

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Retired Stamps for Sale

I'm finally saying good bye to some of my beloved retired stamp sets. I've had some of them for 8+ years! I've definitely made some beautiful projects with my sets, but it's time to say goodbye for good so that I can make more room for some more current sets.

Let me know via a comment if you're interested in any of the following retired Stampin' Up stamp sets (they are available on a first come, first serve basis):

Around the Block - $2
Best Blossoms - $4 - SOLD
Birthday Whimsy - $4 - SOLD
Burst into Bloom - $2 - SOLD
Celebrate the Season - $8 - SOLD
Fresh Flowers - $6 - SOLD
Friendship Blooms - $3 - SOLD
Hip Hip Hooray - $8 - SOLD
Holiday Blocks - $6
Kid Prints - $8
Little Shapes - $2
Made From Scratch - $2 - SOLD
Merci - $4 - SOLD
Oh How We Danced - $4 - SOLD
Peace on Earth - $6 - SOLD
Reverse Prints - $2
Send a Celebration - $2
Sidekick Sayings - $2 - SOLD
Small Script - $2 - SOLD
So Many Sayings - $4
So Many Scallops - $3
Something to Celebrate - $6 - SOLD
Stippled Stencils - $2 - SOLD
Tags & More - $6 - SOLD
The Art of Life - $2 - SOLD
Timeworn Trim - $2 - SOLD
Too Terrific Tags - $4
Watercolor Minis - $4
Word Search - $6 - SOLD

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Where do I begin?

I just got back from my first Convention. I have no idea where to begin... I had SO much fun. I can't wait to go back.

Convention-goers got a sneak peek at the new Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog while at Convention & there, of course, were SO many stamp sets & accessories that I'm excited about. I remember last year at this time thinking that there just wasn't a whole lot that was new & that I wanted to buy. That is absolutely NOT the case this year. I can't wait for August 11th to roll around so that I can place my order.

One of the big announcements at Convention was their new partnership with Sizzix. Stampin' Up will now offer a die-cut machine called the Big Shot that works with cardstock, paper, cardboard, fabric, leather. The possibilities seem almost endless. Using the Big Shot, we were shown an apron that the CEO & Co-Founder, Shelli, had made (too cute!!), some fun masks & even Christmas ornaments (Santa & Rudolph). I have pictures on my Flickr account & will gladly forward them to you if you'd like to see.

During Convention, many demonstrators make "swaps" which are cardfronts that they swap with other demonstrators. It's just another way for us to get inspiration for our camps & classes. I, apparently, made a swap that turned out to be too much. It's a fun card, but after making card after card after card, your mind gets tired, your hands get cramped & then you just don't make as many as you had planned on. I originally planned around 150 or so, but then I got tired, cramped hand & then just lazy. I forced myself to complete 100 swaps. This, as it turns out, is not enough (in my opinion). After I had swapped my last card with another demonstrator, I was sad & thought to myself, "Aw, that's it? I want to keep going..." But, I had nothing to keep going with. Next year, I will have more.

My roommates both have Convention (build-a-) Bears & so they got me one too for my first Convention. They even bought matching pink bathrobes & bunny slippers for my bear. From here on out, for every Convention I go to, Stamperella, my Convention Bear will go with me too. And, if anyone chooses to join in all the fun I have & come to Convention as part of my 'downline', they too will get a Convention Bear.
After attending Convention, I've decided that I 'really' want to work my SU business into more of a business (compared to hobby) & take it more seriously. There were people who've just really been an inspiration (with their sales & recruiting efforts) & it was amazing. Who knew that one person could sell $130k worth of stuff in one year? It can happen.
I'm off to go stamp something with my new / free stamp sets (demonstrators got at least 4 freebies just for attending Convention).